Decadence
by Xymena Falling
Summary: "I have never seen such luxury as this, such finery and splendour. My eyes are dazzled by gold, glass and velvet. Here then, this is where we will fight and die, among such wealth." The 48th Hunger Games. Open SYOT.
1. Chapter 1

Gaius Leaf, Head Gamemaker

Gaius sighed and rubbed at his temple frustratedly, paying no heed to the secretary who was waiting patiently on the opposite side of his rather large desk. He didn't like his secretary, she was a slut.

"Get me water." He gritted out after a few more minutes of exasperating silence, reaching for the small bottle of pills in his upper right hand drawer.

The secretary - a young woman by the name of Caecillia - nodded, and left his office for a few moments. When she returned, he was blinking grumpily at her, hand waiting outstretched. After the concoction of pain killers and water, he leaned back in his seat.

"Yes?"

"A memo from President Snow, Mr Leaf. He approves of your arena plan."

"Is that all?"

"Balbus doesn't, and is complaining about mutts."

Balbus was the gamemaker in charge of mutts, and had been royally disappointed to learn of the plans for this years arena. He, apparently, had been hoping for water so he could experiment with some new fish hybrid mutts. Gaius had had to tell him rather sternly that they would not compromise and include a swimming pool.

It was a stupid idea, and he'd spent a ridiculous amount of time explaining that long, long ago in a country called France they didn't build swimming pools in their palaces. In fact they hadn't built anything much in their palaces, it was mostly endless rooms with no apparent function or even much furniture. Crucially rooms with nowhere to hide.

Gaius nodded, and flicked his hand to dismiss her.

Caecillia bowed her head and left, once again leaving him alone. He watched her pale blue legs walk out. She might have been a slut, but that didn't mean he couldn't admire her legs.

He found his eye once again drawn to the map of the arena, tracing over the maze of interconnecting rooms. Although the fact it wasn't an outdoor arena had thrown up a couple of issues, he felt that they had been resolved successfully. Outdoor arenas were getting a bit cliché, anyway. This plan was perfect, and the Capitol was going to love it.

* * *

Here are rules and submissions, though they're also on my profile for ease and convenience.

1. No-one related to anyone canon.

2. Personality trumps history. Not everyone has a sob-story, some people actually have nice families.

3. Being psycho is not a personality, neither is sexuality.

4. Up to two tributes may be sent in.

5. I want tributes as realistic as possible. This means, if you volunteer and you're not a career you need a very very good reason, and if you are from a career district and you're reaped you need a very very good reason. You need to fit your district.

6. No bitching because your tribute died or they got moved to another district.

7. Names are really important. I don't want a district one or two tribute named 'Jemima' or 'Ian'. Made up names are okay, as long as they don't sound like they're out of a shitty RPG. Bonus points for having them linked to your district's industry.

8. Careers must be 17/18.

Name:

Age:

Gender:

District:

Appearance[more detail, the better:

Personality[Likewise, details:

Hobbies:

Family:

Friends:

History:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Weapon of choice:

Reaped/Volunteered:

Reaction/reason:

Career?:

Arena strategy:

Other (such as interview outfit, favourite food, favourite colour...)?:


	2. District One Reapings

**Vetiver Heiland, 18**

"Breakfast is served!" Vetiver yelled loudly for his family, brandishing a spatula. There was silence for several moments before there came a trampling of feet down the stairs. A small head poked itself between the bannisters and grinned.

"I can smell it." This statement was accompanied by a very loud inhale.

Vetiver laughed at his younger sister. "Is mum up?"

"Yeah, I think so. I heard Dad swearing at Obby."

'Obby' was an affectionate shortening of Obsidian, the Heiland's pet black labrador. 'Obby' had already had something to eat and was in the habit of bounding upstairs to find people. There was little point in trying to delay Obsidian's breakfast.

"That sounds like Dad." Vetiver muttered, putting down the spatula and sitting opposite his sister, who was gobbling eagerly a fried egg.

"You're volunteering, right?"

"..." Vetiver blinked at his sister's innocent eyes. "Yeah, I am. 'Cause I'm a lean mean killing machine."

"More like cooking machine." She teased cheerfully.

"Hey, you've never seen me at training."

"Weren't good enough to stop you getting that." She nodded her head as a gesture towards Vetiver's face. His fingers felt the thin scar there gingerly.

"Well, accidents happen."

* * *

**Acadia Sparrow, 17**

Acadia pushed back a strand of chocolate coloured hair from her forehead, before steadying her aim. Focus… focus on the target…

"Hey, Acadia!"

She growled as her focus was broken just before her throw. "What, Micah?" She snapped.

Her friend grinned at her, grey eyes glinting. "Just wanted to say hi. Before you went off to the reapings."

"You broke my concentration just for that?"

"Come on Cady, you know you don't need to concentrate that hard, you're better than that."

"Don't call me Cady." She said, though not as angrily as she could, she was pleased with his confidence in her. She spun round and let loose the knife, it hit the centre of the target with a satisfying thump.

"See!" He grinned, pushing his unruly hair back from his eyes. She couldn't help but grin back. She felt a small pang when she realised she would miss his grin during training in the Capitol. If only he were volunteering - they would make the best team. But then she would have to kill him, and she would get to see him when she came back victorious anyway.

"I should go get ready."

* * *

All the girls stood in ordered rows. Acadia had worked her way so she was near the back, she wanted to have as much time to put on a show as possible. A huge screen flickered on. An expectant hush fell on the crowd. A low, slow, man's voice started speaking. Acadia kind of wished they varied it a bit, they had had the same video every year for as long as she could remember and to be honest, it was starting to look a little bit dated. She didn't bother to listen to what he was saying, just tried to keep her pulse down.

The escort, Hermia, strided to the glass bowl containing all the girls names. She smiled widely for the cameras, lifted her arm dramatically, plunged it into the bowl and delicately picked up a slip. She didn't bother wasting time fishing around the bowl, everyone knew the tribute was already decided. She strode back to the microphone, and called out a name.

There was a long pause. People started murmuring on the sides. Who was going to volunteer this year? She could imagine them whispering.

"I volunteer." She said loudly and clearly, a smile plastered on her face. Neatly she stepped out of the group and walked up the stage, not confidently, but determinedly.

"And what is your name?" Hermia asked. Acadia hadn't realised how tall she was, she must have had her legs surgically lengthened.

"Acadia Sparrow." She caught Micah's eye. He gave a slight nod. Good, she had appeared well.

"Excellent. And now over to the gentlemen." Again Hermia strode, again she looked like she were about to start flamencoing on the stage, again a slip was plucked, again Hermia strode back.

"Sheen Perry."

"I volunteer." A voice drawled from near the stage. A tall youth slipped out of the crowd and cheerfully sauntered to the stage. Acadia sighed internally. Him? They chose him? He wasn't serious enough, he was too upbeat and jokey. He didn't even train that regularly! Certainly not as regularly as she did, which in her mind was the optimal amount of time.

She cleared her mind. Stay focused. Be tough. Have no prejudices. She had seen unlikely candidates win. Just because she thought he wasn't suited didn't mean he couldn't be a good ally or dangerous foe. To her right, she heard him state his name. Vetiver, that was it.

They shook hands on the podium and stood next to each other. He was also too tall, he made her look small. He was too good looking, and she was sure he was charming to boot. Dang it, she mentally swore. The worst possible person they could have chosen from her point of view.

They walked into the justice building, the double doors swung shut, blocking them from the crowd.

* * *

**Here are the district one reapings! I hope I did a good enough job, and this would have been up earlier had my mother not intervened...**

**I really need a district 2 male for the next reapings... **


	3. District Two Reapings

**Ashlar Lethrel, 18**

Ashlar's father Slate gave her a steely glare over the table. Ashlar stared back just as coldly, brown eyes meeting.

"You will be volunteering."

Ashlar simply nodded. She'd heard it all before.

"This is your last year and you will be a victor. You're not letting your district and us down, you hear?"

Ashlar hated her father. "Is that all?" She spoke curtly.

His lip curled slightly. "If only you'd started training earlier…" He mused passive aggressively. Ashlar simply got up, ignoring him, and left to go get her shoes which were kept by the door. It was too warm for a jacket, she thought, and once she was inside the justice building it should be warm enough anyway. She was just taking out her shiniest pair of shoes that were reserved for this day when she was ambushed by her mother.

"My little victor!" Her mother, Bellona, crowed eagerly. Ashlar frowned at her.

"I'm not small."

"You will always be my little victor." Bellona gushed, enveloping her in a hug. "You will make me so proud, darling. You and your father. The first victor in our family."

"Get off me." Ashlar snapped.

"All my friends are excited for you." She released Ashlar, only to grip onto her shoulders instead.

"Good for them." She wished her mother would just let her go. There was the sound of running feet on the floor above, then someone bounding down the stairs. A girl bounced up to her.

"Ash! You were gonna go without me?" Kate looked disappointed. Ashlar didn't quite know why Kate liked her so much. It was certainly despite her best efforts - she tried to avoid Kate, and was curt and unfriendly most of the time. But Kate had a big heart and she had grown up to Ashlar's changing personality, so maybe she managed to see something in her that nobody else had.

"You can walk with me if you want."

"Awesome! Let me get my shoes." Ashlar couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. 'Awesome' was Kate's new word, and absolutely everything was 'awesome' these days.

"If you won't do it for us, do it for her." Her mother hissed venomously, taking Ashlar aback. But before she had time to react her mother was gone, to go correct something on Kate's dress.

"I'm doing it for myself. After this I can be free, one way or another." She muttered to Bellona's retreating back.

**Ivo Keene, 17**

"Hey, Ivo. Open up. You should be getting ready by now." A gruff male voice accompanied a series of dull thumps on the door. Ivo looked up from his desk.

"I am ready." He got up to unlock the door for his dad. Said dad tutted when he saw the mess.

"You should really tidy this up, but we don't have time."

Ivo looked round his room. It didn't look that bad to him. Sure, there were piles of paper everywhere, and more paper tacked to the walls, showcasing his more impressive works of art, and ok the surfaces were dusty and his books crumbling from age, but it all made it look so much more _interesting_, and besides, he could find everything just fine.

"Meh, I'll do it when I get back." He started walking out. His dad fingered one of the drawings milling about.

"You know, you don't have to volunteer this year. You have one more year."

Ivo stopped short. He turned round slowly.

"Yeah but, you know me Dad, Keene by name... keen by nature."

"Yeah that's getting old now"

"Aww come on, it's a great line!"

"I don't understand where your Mum and I went wrong…"

"Cheers." Ivo turned back.

"We're going to miss you." His father briefly laid a hand on his shoulder, then walked off. Ivo stood rooted to the spot for a couple of long seconds, then followed his father downstairs. A wave of fantastic smells hit him as he entered the kitchen. His mum, Trisha, was bustling around an ancient stove. When he came in she immediately stopped to fuss over him.

"You look so smart." She looked so pleased as she tweaked his shirt collar. "Well, except for your hair. Can't you flatten it? Come here." She dragged him by his collar to the sink.

"No! Mum! Leave my hair alone!" He wailed. She ran the sink and put her hand under the water. He dodged the dreaded wet hand. "It will never be subdued!"

Trisha sighed melodramatically. "I guess you'll just have to go like that then." Ivo grinned.

"I like your hair." His little brother, Eero piped up from the table.

"He would take your side." She muttered darkly.

"That's cos he's my little buddy, aren't you Eero?" Ivo ruffled the child's hair affectionately, and was rewarded with a beaming smile.

"We should get going." Ivo's Dad came into the room brandishing shoes. They all grabbed their pair.

"Oh and this is for you, I thought you might want something on the train." Trisha wrapped up some food in a cloth and tied it up.

"I'm sure they will feed us Mum." He held the cloth to his nose. Sure they would feed him, but he doubted they could ever come close to his mum's cooking.

"Trish, we need to go." His dad called as his mum hurriedly left the room.

"I'm coming Alto, just going to get a scarf!"

"Sometimes, that woman…" Alto didn't say what he thought about that woman, but they all knew he loved her deeply and never really got annoyed with her. Eero had just finished tying his laces anyway, his small hands struggled with the thin strings. He stood up and raised his arms hopefully in front of Ivo.

"Alright, but only cos it's a special occasion." Ivo lifted him up and sat him on his shoulders. Eero giggled happily. "You ok up there?"

"Yes!"

"Cool beans."

"They're not going to take you seriously if you keep saying things like that." His mother had returned.

"I'll be fine."

"I'm sure they'll love you. Let's go." They were all bundled out the house and set off on the long walk to the justice building.

"Hey wait up!" A female voice called behind them. They all spun around. A young woman was jogging down the path waving at them. Alto and Trisha shared a look. She skidded to a halt right in front of Ivo.

"You left without me!" She poked his broad chest.

"Wasn't my fault you were late…" Ivo looked away.

"Aly!" Eero called from way up high on Ivo's shoulders. "Aly don't be mean to Ivo." He pulled a face.

The girl laughed. "Sorry Eero." She smiled innocently.

"Come on, time to walk with Daddy!" Alto lifted the unsuspecting child off his brother.

"Buuuut Ivo!" He howled.

"What about me huh? Are my manly shoulders not enough?" Alto plonked Eero on himself.

"Not as good as Ivo's!"

"You're so mean to poor Daddy. Poor Daddy will cry now!"

"No Daddy, don't cry!"

"You broke my heart. I will cry!"

"Daddy Daddy Daddy! No crying!" The small boy wailed unhappily. Ivo chuckled as he watched his parents walk ahead.

"Your dad's so good with kids."

"Yeah I know."

They started following his family in comfortable silence. They were usually talkative, but for once Ivo didn't know what to say.

"How do you feel?"

"Nervous. Don't tell anyone. But also excited."

"You'll be fine. I believe in you. Just come back, ok?"

Ivo stopped walking. He stared straight ahead.

"Alaina. If I don't make it back -"

"But you will."

"But if I don't -"

"You will."

He turned to look at her. "_If_ I don't come back…" He put a finger to her mouth to stop her arguing. "If I don't come back… I want… You should know -" He took a deep breath but she stepped back from him, pushed his finger so it curled next to the others, covering his fist with her hand.

"Tell me when you get back. Please. If you don't it won't be worth knowing." She whispered. Ivo nodded. He pulled his hand from hers.

**Ashlar Lethrel**

Kate and Ashlar walked in silence, but this didn't seem to bother Kate one bit. They looked really similar, they had the same mousey brown hair, but where she had chopped it to shoulder length Kate had let it grow out. But their personalities were the complete opposite. Where Ashlar was serious, considered and cold, Kate was warm, impulsive and loving. Kate was the little darling, and her parents pride and joy. Ashlar was a disappointment, the only way she could make them proud was by winning the Hunger Games and if she died trying… well, Kate was the only person who would cry over it.

They had reached the justice building. The queue moved quickly to get in, they were a little later than she'd wanted to be. She watched the other people. Behind them a boy and a girl were hugging each other tightly whilst gazing into each others eyes sickeningly. Ashlar looked away with distaste. Couples were so annoying. Happily they stopped and joined the queue like everyone else.

"Your finger." She held it out and felt the familiar sting. She quickly wiped away the blood.

"Kate." She called. Her little sister turned around. "Come here."

Obediently the girl ran up to her. Ashlar quickly pulled her into a hug then without saying anything headed to her section. An expectant hush fell on the crowd. The doors to the justice building flew open. A pink and orange creation appeared like a bright bauble in front of the grey building.

"Welcome everyone." She said, as though she lived here and they didn't. "Now, let us all take a moment to reflect on why we're here." She stepped back from the microphone and the tv screens blinked awake. The usual video played. As the voice faded the escort stepped back to the front of the stage.

"And now, for the reapings… Shall we start with the girls?" She asked no one in particular as she shuffled over to a huge frosted glass bowl. She dipped her hand in and leisurely walked back to centre stage.

"And the lucky lady is… Jana Haelite"

"I volunteer!" Ashlar eagerly thrust her hand out of the crowd.

"Ah a volunteer." The escort said with little enthusiasm. "Come up to the stage."

Ashlar fought her way out of the gaggle of girls and strode up to the platform.

"And your name is?"

"Ashlar Lethrel."

"Excellent. And now the boys…" She sauntered to the bowl on the other side of the stage and back. "Caius Lipkin."

"I volunteer." A confident male voice called out. A blonde guy almost bounced down the aisle to the stage. Ashlar couldn't believe it. It was the guy who'd been hugging the girl behind her in the queue.

"The name's Keene. Ivo Keene." He grinned out at the crowd, and saluted to someone in the girls half. Probably the girl he'd been hugging. Ashlar tried to find her, and sure enough, there she was with red eyes.

"So these are our two representatives. Ivo and Ashlar." The two shook hands briefly. "Good luck to both of you." She turned and walked sedately into the justice buildings, the two young adults following.

* * *

**Hey thanks for reading :) really enjoying writing for hunger games, but low on tributes, so please if you have read this far submit one :) also don't forget to review. Cheers **


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